


Second Chances Come With A Cost

by ChrysCare



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-15
Updated: 2014-09-11
Packaged: 2018-02-13 06:26:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 14,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2140551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChrysCare/pseuds/ChrysCare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would you do for your sparkling as Cybertronians start splitting into factions? would you willingly give your sparkling to the enemy to save him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Alarms sound and mechs’ shouting comes from the hallway ahead. A small group of Autobots are trying to keep the Decepticons away from the med-bay. They couldn’t afford the raiding party of Decepticons gaining access to their most secure part of the ship. 

On the front lines of defense, a black and white mech shouts orders to the others while Optimus Prime is busy fighting Starscream. Everyone else is busy fighting off the Decepticons, no one notices Scorponok sneaking around and behind the black and white mech. The mech opens his mouth to shout out another set of orders until a sharp pain stabs his neck. The sensitive wiring in the back of his neck burns. 

“Ahhh!” the mech screams in pain as he falls to his knees. 

“Prowl! Get off him, you lousy Decepticon!” Jazz shouts as he runs over to toss Scorponok off of the mech. He falls to his knees beside the mech, who twitches and coughs up Energon. “Prowl, ya okay?”

Jazz looks over the mech’s battle injuries and the Energon pooling under his helm. He wasn’t a medic but it didn’t look good.

“I-I’m fine . . . J-Jazz g-get back to . . . the battle . . .” Prowl says. 

“No you’re not fine,” Jazz shakes his helm. “No, sit tight and I’ll get Ratch.”

Soon after the Decepticons sound the retreat, Ratchet rushes over to Prowl and Jazz. The blue light washes over the black and white mech, whose optics dim and flicker. Ratchet frowns at the results of the scan. 

“Ironhide, help me get Prowl to the med-bay,” Ratchet puts away his scanner, processor working overtime to figure out how to help Prowl. Jazz follows on the medic’s heels with Optimus Prime close behind. Ironhide lays Prowl on the med-berth and Jazz immediately comes to the second-in-command’s side. 

“It’s a very bad virus,” Ratchet looks at Optimus Prime. 

“Is there anything you can do?” Jazz asks before Optimus Prime gets the chance.

“The only way is if I have Scorponok or some piece of him here. It’s his venom that’s running through Prowl’s systems. I would need to make an anti-virus from it. We could put him on a stasis life support system until then.”

“And if we don’t?” Optimus Prime asks, blue optics dimming slightly at the question he must ask.

“He’ll die sir,” Ratchet sighs and looks at Prowl’s straining body. 

“J-Jazz . . .” the weak voice of Prowl cuts the deathly quiet med-bay. Jazz tightens his grip on Prowl’s servo. “Y-You’re second . . . n-now Jazz.”

“Prowl, don’t talk like that,” Jazz pulls the white servo up to his cheek. “You’re gonna get better. Ya have to. Remember what we talked about.”

“It’s the only logical thing.”


	2. To Save Family

Jazz sits by the berth. Ratchet already started the stasis life support and in a few moments he would be named second-in-command. He looks down at Prowl, trails his fingers over the dulled frame of his best friend and to-be-bonded. 

“I’m gonna find a way for you to get back,” Jazz says and presses his forehelm on Prowl’s chevron. He rubs his thumb over Prowl’s cheek before leaving the med-bay. 

Out of the shadows, steps a blue mech, his red visor gleams with pain. He walks up to Prowl’s berth and cups the back of the Praxian’s helm. He carefully moves around the med-bay picking up various equipment. He subspaces most of it but the portable stasis life support. He switches the wires over from the stationary to the portable without a problem. The blue mech gently picks up the Praxian and cradles him close to his chassis. 

:Shockwave, I have him,: Soundwave says over the comm. as he makes his way through the Ark. 

:How is he?: Shockwave asks. 

:Scorponok got him,: Soundwave stops at the corner and backs to the wall. He rubs his thumb over the back of Prowl’s helm. 

:Is he stable?:

:The Autobot medic put him on stasis life support,: Soundwave runs to the docking bay. 

:Just get him to my lab,: Shockwave says. :I need him in one piece.:

:I will be there in a few joors,: Soundwave runs down the stairs to the ship floor. He opens one of the ships and sets Prowl in the passenger seat. He straps the limp Praxian into the seat and runs around the ship to jump in the pilot seat.

“Hey!” an Autobot yells and starts firing at the Decepticon. The alarms sound and a group of Autobots fire at the ship.

:I will be in an Autobot scouting ship,: Soundwave sends to Shockwave.


	3. Family Reunion

Soundwave docks the ship at Shockwave’s lab. The purple mech stands at the door, Soundwave carries Prowl up to him. Shockwave makes a strangled noise. 

“You’ll save him,” Soundwave says pressing his helm against the purple mech’s helm. 

“I have the cryotank ready for him,” Shockwave leads Soundwave through his lab to the tank. “It will stop Scorponok’s venom from doing any more damage.”

“I must get back to Megatron,” Soundwave says. 

“We should have gotten out before my accident,” Shockwave holds Prowl’s limp body in his arms. 

“Megatron should not have done that to you,” Soundwave cups Shockwave’s helm and traces around the single optic. 

“Be safe, you’re the one I worry about now,” Shockwave tilts his helm toward Soundwave’s servo. 

“He needs me too much,” Soundwave drops his servo to Prowl’s helm and rubs his thumb over the red chevron. “He looked so much like you.”

Shockwave watches as Soundwave walks out of the room before looking down to the black and white mech in his arms. 

“We thought you would be safe in the Autobots,” Shockwave sighs and lays Prowl in the cryotank. “I will save you, sweetspark.”

Shockwave closes the tank and walks to his storage room. He opens the door, the lights flicker on as he walks into it. He looks at all the vials lining the shelves before stopping on one, the label faded from how old it is. Shockwave picks it up and walks into his lab. 

“Will he be alright?” Shockwave jumps and turns around to face the blue, red and white seeker. 

“He should be,” Shockwave says. “Why are you not at Megatron’s side?”

“He kicked me out,” Starscream shrugs. “Why didn’t we act sooner? We knew Scorponok was targeting Barricade. Why couldn’t we get there faster?”

“Sometimes things do not follow what we want,” Shockwave says and shudders when Starscream trails his fingers over his shoulders.

“I miss your Praxian frame,” Starscream sighs and leans on the counter. “I’m glad we decided to have Barricade have a Praxian frame.”

“He goes by Prowl now,” Shockwave pours the contents of the vial into a beaker. 

“Prowl, Barricade, whatever, he is still Barricade to me,” Starscream says. “I am his carrier after all. I should be able to call him his given name. Soundwave didn’t have any trouble getting him out did he?”

“Not that I am aware of,” Shockwave says. “Did you find Scorponok?”

“No,” Starscream looks down. “I chased him to the Chaar district. He and Blackout disappeared from the radar.”

“I have this old sample from Scorponok’s last victim,” Shockwave says. 

“Will it help?” Starscream asks.

“It should if I can get Praxian coding, Prowl is too fragile to extract it from,” Shockwave says. 

“We don’t have any Praxians,” Starscream punches the counter. “Why did Megatron have to destroy Praxus?”

“Megatron is a psychopathic power greedy glitch,” Shockwave says. Starscream chuckles and leans back on the counter.

“I miss this side of you,” Starscream says. “You are sure your Praxian coding is broken?”

“Ninety nine percent sure,” Shockwave says. 

“Vosian won’t work? Praxians and Vosians are nearly the same,” Starscream says. 

“It . . . if we put him in a new frame, the venom will jump to the new frame,” Shockwave says. “But if we put him in a Vosian frame that looks Praxian he will look nearly the same yet we could save him with your coding.”

“What are you waiting for!” Starscream whines. “Do it.”


	4. The Change

Shockwave pulls Prowl out of the cryotank and sets him on the berth. Starscream trails his fingers over the doorwings that are slowly dissolving from the venom. 

“It’s the venom eating away at his internal systems,” Shockwave says. 

“Can you make his frame with the ability to fly?” Starscream asks. 

“I could,” Shockwave says, a hint of sadness in his monotone voice. 

“I won’t let Megatron win,” Starscream says. “He stole your coding, stole my ability to create seekers and stole Soundwave’s free will. He will lose his command.”

“Starscream, be careful at what you do,” Shockwave says. “You cannot continue your defiance. He will kill you.”

“If he wanted to kill me he would have done it the first time,” Starscream says. 

“You scare me,” Shockwave glances at the seeker. “Even though our sparks are not able to be on the same frequency I still care for you as if we were bondmates.”

Starscream sits on the berth beside the berth Prowl is lying on. Shockwave brings a canister over to the berth and hands it to Starscream.

“How long can you stay here?” Shockwave asks.

“Until we catch the Autobots again,” Starscream holds the canister up as Shockwave pries open Prowl’s chestplates. The blue spark pulses slowly, the metal at the edges of the spark chamber show signs of eroding.

“It hasn’t reached his spark,” Shockwave sighs and lifts the blue spark out of the black and white frame. “I will take out his processors next, I want to make sure they weren’t damaged. If they were I have to replace them. His spark needs to be near yours.”

Starscream nods and cradles the canister to his chest. Shockwave opens Prowl’s helm and pulls out a bundle of systems. A small spot of rust starts spreading up the cord still connecting it to the frame. Shockwave cuts it off before it reaches the vital parts of the processors. 

“He should be alright until we put him in his new frame,” Shockwave says and carries the processors to the counter and starts to separate them. He wipes them off with a rag before putting them in a scanner. “I will create a backup in case something happens.”

“What are we going to do with him once he’s fixed?” Starscream asks turning on the berth.

“We cannot let him leave our sight, Scorponok may strike again,” Shockwave says. “I’ll go through his memories to find anything that might have preluded to Scorponok’s attack.” 

“What will we tell him about the Autobots?” Starscream asks.

“He is no longer safe within their ranks,” Shockwave says. 

“We can’t keep him from his friends,” Starscream frowns. 

“Soundwave’s creations have kept an optic on him, he has no friends,” Shockwave says.

“Surely he has at least one friend,” Starscream looks down at the blue spark. 

“I have the protoform ready,” Shockwave says and pulls out another cryotank. He opens it and pulls out the small frame of a sparkling seeker. “The protoform will adapt to his spark. I will have to create the armor later.”

“Where did you get that?” Starscream asks.

“I planned our sparklings would be seekers,” Shockwave says. “It was for our next one.”

“Oh,” Starscream flinches and moves off the berth. Shockwave lays the protoform on the berth and opens the spark chamber. 

“He will act like a sparkling until I install his processors,” Shockwave says. 

“He’ll be okay?” Starscream asks. Shockwave nods as he moves the spark into the protoform. The protoform molds to look like a Praxian with rounded seeker-like wings. Starscream picks up the small form and cradles it as molten gold optics online. “Hello, Barricade.”

The sparkling looks up with his helm tilted.

“Prowl,” Shockwave says and the sparkling turns to look at the purple mech. 

“Sire,” the sparkling chirps and looks at Starscream. “Carrier.”

“Barricade?” Starscream asks, frown marring his face and the sparkling looks up. He reaches a small servo up to touch his Carrier’s face. The sparkling chirps and snuggles into Starscream’s arms. 

“You can take him to my quarters,” Shockwave says. “I will look through his processors now.”

“Soundwave created his creation’s armor, he could help with Barricade’s,” Starscream says.

“When he has the time off I will ask him,” Shockwave says. Starscream nods and walks though the lab to Shockwave’s quarters. The seeker sits on the plush berth and lays the sparkling on his front. The sparkling chirps and starts crawling around. Starscream chuckles as the sparkling wiggles on the berth. 

“I miss you being this small,” Starscream says and gently traces the small wings flapping on the sparkling’s back. The sparkling coos and peeks over the edge of the berth. “Nope, you’re not going down by yourself.” 

Starscream sets the sparkling on the floor and he crawls out of the berth room. The Air commander follows, keeping a watchful optic on the small sparkling. Barricade crawls to the washracks and Starscream smiles. 

“You want a bath?” Starscream picks Barricade up and throws him up in the air. Barricade squeals and flaps his wings. Starscream holds him up like a jet and carries him toward the lowered portion of the washracks like he’s flying.


	5. To Be A Sparkling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story Starscream tells is based loosely on the Grimm Fairytale Jorinda and Jorindel

The story based loosely on Jorinda and Jorindel 

 

Starscream hums a Vosian lullaby as he gets the solvent ready for Barricade. Barricade jumps around the bath edge flapping his wings as if trying to lift off. Starscream chuckles when Barricade huffs and glares at the ground. 

“It’s not the ground’s fault you can’t fly,” Starscream says holding out his servo. Barricade runs over and jumps into Starscream’s arms.

“Who’s is it?” Barricade asks looking up to his Carrier.

“Gravity,” Starscream cups his servo and holds the solvent up and lets it fall.

“Gravity is a big bully,” Barricade says. 

“It is,” Starscream smiles and carries Barricade in the tub full of solvent. He sits down with Barricade on his lap and starts scrubbing small circles over the sparklings protoform with the softest brush Shockwave has. Barricade purrs and starts falling into recharge. “You can’t go into recharge yet.”

“Why not?” Barricade mumbles.

“We always play rust sea strike,” Starscream says and pulls out a servo full of small Cybertronium jet figurines. Barricade’s optics brighten and he jumps off Starscream’s lap. He holds out his small servos and Starscream dumps half of jets into his servos. Barricade wades over to the other side of the tub. 

“Me first!” Barricade says and sets all but one jet on the edge of the raised platform. Starscream laughs when Barricade frowns and switches it with another jet. “Tact team one to airstriker three, lock onto your target. Engage!”

Barricade throws the jet across the tub and the jet skips over the water and hits Starscream’s knee.

“Score!” Barricade jumps. 

“Air Commander to air command five, do you have a lock on your target?” Starscream says and aims his jet. “Engage.”

 

Starscream smiles and tosses his jet, the jet goes up in the air before nose diving into the solvent. The solvent splashes up and over Barricade. Barricade’s squeal rings through the room.

“Teach me to do that!” Barricade says. 

“You have to toss it up to the ceiling,” Starscream says. Barricade tries with his glossa sticking out of his mouth.

“Take ‘em out airstrike one,” Barricade says and tosses the jet up in the air. The jet turns sideways and makes a hard splash in the middle of the tub. “Aww.”

“Try again,” Starscream says and tosses Barricade one of his jets. 

“Tact team one to air command three, do your thing,” Barricade tosses the jet up in the air and loses his balance, falling into the solvent as the jet dives into it in front of Starscream. Barricade looks up to see Starscream frowning. “Did I get you?”

“And half of my fleet,” Starscream frowns as half of his fleet sink to the bottom of the tub. 

“Yay,” Barricade jumps up and down. 

“Air Commander to air command send two in,” Starscream smirks as he picks up two jets. Barricade looks worried as Starscream tosses them up in the air. The jets cross paths and each one of them fall to Barricade’s sides. Barricade turns in on himself to keep the solvent from hitting his optics. “Score.”

Barricade groans as he glances at his fleet, only one jet survived staying on the edge. 

“Mind if I try?” Shockwave asks, Barricade holds out his jet for his Sire. “I used to be the Air Commander for Praxian Vos Academy when your Carrier was just a seekerlet prancing around the training facility.”

“I was not prancing,” Starscream crosses his arms. 

“It was prancing,” Shockwave gets in the tub beside Barricade. 

“Make him pay, he took out two thirds of my fleet,” Barricade pouts up at his Sire.

“This one is an old time favorite of mine,” Shockwave says, yellow optic gleaming with amusement. Starscream gasps and starts to back away to the edge of the tub. Shockwave throws the jet. It skips a couple of times, the last skip makes it go airborne and it dives suddenly right in front of Starscream. The solvent sprays up, soaking Starscream and wiping out the remaining jets in his fleet. 

“Yay,” Barricade jumps up and Shockwave grabs him. 

“Tact team wins again,” Shockwave says. 

“I’m going to win one of these orns,” Starscream says with his servos on his hips. “You just watch me.”

“You’re just a sore loser,” Barricade says and pats Starscream’s wing as the seeker walks past to get the thermal towels to dry off. Starscream wraps one of the large thermal towels around Barricade.

“Where did Barricade go?” Starscream asks poking the towel.

“In here!” Barricade squeals and pops his helm out of the towel. “Story time?”

“Of course,” Starscream smiles as he takes Barricade out of Shockwave’s arms. He carries the sparkling into the berthroom and lays the sparkling in the middle. He sits on the edge while Shockwave leans on the doorframe. “This one is my favorite.

“Once, many vorns ago, before the Primes, there was a seeker. He was a beautiful seeker, his paint shined in the light of the star. One orn though, he saw a city. The city was no ordinary city. It was full of crystals, every building was made out of the finest crystals. He loved this city. He would go there every orn. One orn, he met a mech. Now this mech wasn’t from this city or the seeker’s city. He was from another city who loved crystals as much as the seeker. 

“Now in the middle of this city, one must not forget, lived a wizard. He was a smart wizard but in the light cycle, he was a horrid beast. In the dark cycle he was a stunning mech. Everyone in the city talked about the wizard. Even the seeker’s new friend heard stories about the mech. The stories interested the seeker and he wanted to see this famed wizard. 

“There was a certain rule in all the stories about meeting the wizard. One could not approach the wizard’s citadel during the light cycle. If they did the wizard would turn them into crystal. Only when the wizard chose to, he released one of his imprisoned mechs. That mech could never enter the city again. The seeker begged his new friend to follow him. So the two went into the city. 

“Once they reached the wall of the citadel, the seeker’s friend stopped and begged the seeker to rethink what he was doing. The seeker wouldn’t hear of it and left his friend at the gate. Not wanting his friend to get hurt or left alone, the other mech followed.

“The path to the citadel was worn. Too many mechs had entered to lay optics on the wizard. The path weaved and weaved and soon the seeker was lost. He glanced around and saw his friend following him. His friend begged him to turn around and leave with him. But the seeker told him that they were so close. The friend allowed the seeker to continue and soon they arrived on a ledge that over looked the citadel crystal gardens. There, tending to a crystal plant, was the wizard. The seeker stared on and on at this wizard. He was the purest silver with purple highlights. His broad shoulders gleamed in the late dark cycle. 

“The seeker’s friend told the seeker about the rising star and they ran for the gates. Just as the friend reached the gates the star came over the horizon. The seeker jumped in the air at the last second to fly through the gate but the wizard caught him. The friend cried out to the seeker and ran to him. Now the wizard had both of them. 

“First the wizard turned to the seeker and said ‘My what beautiful wings you have there’. The seeker couldn’t move because the wizard had him frozen in crystal. With one pass by the seeker the wizard took his wings. The seeker’s friend cried out because he knew what happened to seekers without their wings. 

“The wizard turned to the friend and said ‘My what beautiful spark you have, so full of love for your friend’. The friend couldn’t move, just like the seeker, the wizard had him frozen in crystal. With two passes the wizard took the friend’s spark. 

“The wizard laughed at the two, the friend’s blank stare at the seeker was all the wizard needed. He sent the two on their way. From that moment on the seeker tried to regain the friend’s love. But try as he might there was no way around what the wizard did.”

Starscream looks at Barricade to see the sparkling in recharge.


	6. Complications

Starscream presses his forehelm against the sparkling’s and walks up to Shockwave. 

“Did you sort through his processors?” Starscream asks. 

“I did, I have found some complications,” Shockwave leads the seeker to the lab. “Why did you tell him that story?”

“It was the one which I will never forget,” Starscream says. “What complications did you find?”

“Prowl has a fixation on a mech,” Shockwave says. 

“And that is a complication why?” Starscream looks at Shockwave with a confused look.

“It is not a comrade fixation.”

“You mean he has a friend?”

“No.”

“A lover?” Starscream asks as Shockwave pulls up the picture of the mech. The black and white mech sits on Prowl’s desk, blue visor shining brightly. “Who is that?” 

“His memories supply the mech’s designation as Jazz,” Shockwave says.

“Again I ask, who is that?”

“The third-in-command of the Autobots. He is now second-in-command with Prowl gone.”

“Barricade fell for an Autobot?” Starscream looks at the picture. “Where does this mech come from?”

“Our records show he is from Polyhex.”

“Polyhex!” Starscream screams. “My poor sparkling. What kind of mechs are in the Autobots?”

“From all of Prowl’s memories, the mech took care of him when he forgot to,” Shockwave says. 

“So what is the complication?”

“The mech didn’t exist before the war.”

“Barricade didn’t exist before the war,” Starscream says. “I fail to follow the logic this time.”

“The mech has no creators.”

“Maybe his creators deactivated. Maybe he was a homeless mech before. I don’t know. How much does his emotional processor allot this mech?”

“It . . . it has saved it,” Shockwave says. “I have no idea how that is possible.”

“So we need this mech for Barricade to be happy?”

“Yes.”

“How are we going to kidnap the second-in-command of the Autobot army?”

“That is my complication. Prowl will not reaccept his possessors in his new body without this mech.”

“Why?”

“His spark has adopted the mech’s frequency, the sync between processor and spark need to be reconnected. He must hear and feel this mech for it to work.”

“Can Soundwave get him?”

“Megatron has sent him to another sector.”

“He can’t do that!” Starscream screeches. 

“Just because he is our family does not mean Megatron cares, he does not even know.”


	7. My Lover Disappeared

“Where is he?” Jazz rushes into Ratchet’s office. 

“Who are you talking about?” Ratchet glances up from his report of Prowl’s latest vitals.

“Prowl,” Jazz stares at the medic. 

“Well, Jazz, he’s lying in stasis on the berth, he is out there,” Ratchet says. 

“Uh, no he isn’t doc,” Jazz opens the door and looks out. “Nope don’t see a black and white Praxian anywhere in there.”

“This is no time for games,” Ratchet stands from his desk and looks out the room. The berth which held Prowl just moments ago was now empty. “What the frag.”

“Prowl couldn’t get up, right?”

“Not a chance,” Ratchet says and inspects the area around the berth. A small drop of Energon glows in the shadows. “Someone left their Energon. I’ll run an analysis and compare it to the mech’s we have on file.”

“What do I do?”

“Well, you’re second in command now, surely there are reports from the battle,” Ratchet shakes his helm.

“Ya don’t expect me to pull a Prowl and forget my lover just disappeared,” Jazz gasps when he realizes he said that out loud and covers his mouth with his servos. Ratchet watches Jazz closely.

“You’re not bonded,” Ratchet states, Jazz shakes his helm. “You do know I must report that to Prime.”

Jazz nods, servos still covering his mouth. 

“Jazz, whatever happened, we will get Prowl back. Do you want to stay while I run tests on the sample.”

“Yes,” Jazz says and follows Ratchet into his office.


	8. To Do The Unsuspecting

“But we need him,” Starscream whines. “Barricade can’t recover without him. You would come if I was injured and taken prisoner.”

“No, the logic behind a rescue mission to recover you puts too many Decepticons at risk of deactivation,” Shockwave says.

“Well, gee, that makes me feel better,” Starscream sighs and falls on the berth. “Seriously, he is the processor behind their operations, surely this Jazz mech would come after Barricade.”

“And risk the location of my lab to the enemy,” Shockwave says. “No, I will not put the Decepticons in line of deactivation.”

“He’s one mech,” Starscream says.

“He is special operations,” Shockwave says, Starscream frowns.

“Well Soundwave’s Special Operations, surely they have the same tricks,” Starscream says. 

“The risk is too high, I will not send a distress signal to the Autobots.”

“Fine, Sire of my sparkling, let him rot,” Starscream stomps away and out of the lab. He glances down the hallway to the communications room. The upside to having a lab in a ghost quadrant is that no one would ever come here to work. Starscream glances at the lab door and makes his way down to the communication’s room. “I won’t let my sparkling rot in his own body. Stupid risks, he’s one fragging mech and a small one at that. I could take him in a klik.”

Starscream sits at the console, he flips a couple of switches and the screen fills with static.

“If I want something done right I must do it myself.”

 

Jazz sighs as he sits in the med-bay, the test was taking longer than expected. Ratchet walks out of the office. 

“So?” Jazz asks hopeful that it came back with who took Prowl.

“I have the designation of the mech who took Prowl,” Ratchet says. “Know that is too dangerous to stage a rescue mission.”

“Just tell me the mech’s des’,” Jazz crosses his arms.

“Soundwave,” Ratchet says. Jazz’s shoulders drop and he sighs. 

“Well, at least I know Prowl isn’t deactivated. They obviously need him for information.”

“They can take his processors out and get the information that way.”

“Thanks for trying to make me feel better,” Jazz glares under his visor at the medic. He walks out of the med-bay to starts his shift at the communications room. He plops down in the chair, the screen fills with static.

“Jazz . . . Jazz, can you hear me?” Jazz looks up at the monitor, Prowl’s voice continues on pleading for help. “Jazz, help me, the Decepticons have me. They’re trying to get information from me. I need you to find me. I downloaded their plans. I’m . . .I’m in some kind of lab or something. Please, they don’t know I escaped. They’re going to kill me.”

Jazz looks at the monitor, plans form in his processor and he types in a couple of strings of coding and finds the location of the message. He wipes the message and location from Teletraan to keep the others from messing up his plans. He jumps up and runs down to the ship bay. 

“I’m coming for you Prowl,” Jazz says. 

 

“Starscream,” Shockwave stands with his arms crossed at the door of the communications room.

“I can’t sit by and watch our baby sparkling suffer,” Starscream says. “What if it was Soundwave? Would you sit around and watch him forget most of his life. He had some good memories of us before the fragging war started and we messed everything up. I want him to keep those memories. This, Jazz, is the only option.”

“Jazz is the top spy, saboteur, combatant, and overall mech the Autobots have,” Shockwave says. “He will come in here. Deactivate all of us including Prowl because he does not recognize who he is.”

“He wouldn’t kill a sparkling,” Starscream says. 

“No one knows what he is thinking, Soundwave can’t even read him,” Shockwave says. 

“Well, maybe that’s what makes him so important to Barricade,” Starscream stands with his fists on his hips. “Excuse me, I am going to watch our sparkling recharge.”

“Starscream,” Shockwave says, a hint of hurt in his voice. “I am trying but I cannot. I wan—need to . . . Starscream, I need to fee—know . . .”

“Shockwave,” Starscream turns to the purple mech. “I know. I’m just used to feeling you in my spark. I . . . miss feeling what you mean. I know it’s just the override program speaking. I know you care about Barricade. I know you care about Soundwave. I even know you care about me. I just . . . why did I push to go to Kaon and see Megatron? It was the stupidest idea I have had. I don’t want Barricade to lose his chance to be with the mech he wants. I don’t want to be his Megatron. I don’t want to be the evil wizard.” 

Shockwave wraps his arms around the trembling seeker. He rubs his servo over the seeker’s wings. Starscream clings to the bulkier mech, mumbling how much he hates Megatron. 

“We need to prepare for Jazz’s arrival,” Shockwave says. 

“I’ll put Barricade in the armory,” Starscream says and starts to walk off. 

“Starscream.”

“What, he won’t touch anything,” Starscream says. “He’s a perfectly, well behaved sparkling. I put him in your lab once, there were cosmic rust samples in there. He never once touched them. You know why? Because I told him not to touch anything. And he listened.”

“Please, do not kill our sparkling,” Shockwave says. 

“You know me,” Starscream smiles over his shoulder and disappears around the corner. 

“Primus help him,” Shockwave shakes his helm.


	9. To Do the Impossible

“Barricade,” Starscream says as he sets the sparkling in the armory. The small sparkling looks up with molten gold optics. “You need to stay here until I or Sire comes to get you. You can’t touch anything but the floor. Got it?”

Barricade nods and sits on the floor.

“May I have a data-pad with Seeker Flylight?” Barricade asks and Starscream pulls out the data-pad from his subspace. He hands it to Barricade who starts watching the sparkling show of a seekerlet learning to fly. “Thank you Carrier.”

“You’re welcome,” Starscream presses his helm against Barricade’s. He smiles as he closes and locks the door. He walks down the hall, something catches his attention in the vents. He turns around just as a black and white mech drops from the vents. :Shockwave, he’s here.:

“My, what a surprise it is to see you Starscream,” Jazz says. “First, Soundwave takes Prowl and then I find you here to interrogate him.”

“I am not here alone, Autobot,” Starscream says. 

“Of course not,” Jazz says and raises his gun. He fires at Starscream, the seeker narrowly misses getting hit. Starscream looks down the hall, Jazz is nowhere to be seen. 

“Frag,” Starscream sighs and runs to the lab. He sees Shockwave walking to the lab from the other hallway. Noise comes from inside the lab. Shockwave pulls his gun. “We need him alive.”

“Tranquilizer,” Shockwave says. 

 

“No,” Jazz says as he picks up the bundle of processors. He chokes back emotion as he carefully sets it back down. “I’m going to make that seeker wish he never touched my Prowl.”

Jazz storms out of the lab to see Starscream leaning against the wall.

“Find something you didn’t want to?” Starscream looks at Jazz, crimson optics shining bright. “You know Prowl didn’t make a fuss when he came here. I would say that he wanted to come.”

“I’m going to—“ Jazz runs to the seeker. A gun fires and Jazz slides to the floor at Starscream’s pedes.

“You could have done that sooner and we wouldn’t have to pop out the dents of his landing,” Starscream frowns. 

“It was the only time I could without causing more harm,” Shockwave says. 

“You, go get our sparkling, I’ll detain him in your lab,” Starscream says and picks up the black and white mech. 

 

Shockwave steps in front of the armory door and unlocks it. Barricade glances up from his show and chirps at his Sire. 

“You are a good sparkling,” Shockwave says and picks up the sparkling. Barricade holds up the data-pad and continues to watch the show. 

“Sire,” Barricade says and looks up at his Sire. “When I get my upgrades, can I fly?”

“If your protoform allows it,” Shockwave says.

“Please protoform, allow it,” Barricade pokes himself in the abdomen.


	10. Behind Enemy Lines

Jazz onlines to a bright room and something on his chest. He looks down to see the grey form of a protoform. He gasps at the size of the mech. He moves to sit up but finds that he is strapped to the berth.

“Carrier!” the sparkling yells. “He’s up.”

“Hey sparkling, who’s you’re Carrier?” Jazz asks.

“I am,” Starscream says and picks Barricade up off the Autobot. Jazz watches the small Praxian sparkling watch him with molten gold optics. 

“He looks like Prowl, what did you do to Prowl?” Jazz screams and pulls at the restraints. 

“Carrier, how does that mech know me?” Barricade looks up at Starscream.

“What have you done?” Jazz yells. 

“Barricade, will you go get your sire,” Starscream says and sets the sparkling on the floor. Jazz strains his neck to see where the sparkling is going. The sparkling walks out of the lab and a few kliks later Shockwave walks into the lab. Jazz thrashes against the berth as Shockwave comes closer. 

“You’re not going to get anything from me,” Jazz yells. 

“Sire, why is he doing that?” Barricade asks, the sparkling looks down from Shockwave’s arms. 

“We are his enemies,” Shockwave says.

“Why?” 

“We’re at war with the Autobots,” Starscream says. “He is an Autobot.”

“But why?” Barricade says. “Why is he afraid of you?”

Jazz stills at the sparklings words. This sparkling could see right through him like Prowl. 

“Is he broken?” Barricade asks as Shockwave sets him on the berth. 

“Prowl, we need to install your processors,” Shockwave says.

“No! You aren’t brainwashing him,” Jazz yells. “Sparkling, you gotta get out of here.”

“Why?” Barricade asks. “Why do you want me to leave my creators?”

“They’re evil, they’re going to make you fight,” Jazz says. 

“Carrier?” Barricade looks at Starscream. 

“You don’t have to fight if you don’t want to,” Starscream says.

“Lies!” Jazz yells. 

“Shockwave, let’s leave him alone for now,” Starscream says and picks up Barricade. “He won’t help us now.”

“Bye bye Autobot,” Barricade waves over Starscream’s shoulder. “See you later, maybe you can play with me.”

Jazz watches the three leave and he stares up at the ceiling. 

“Jazz,” someone says and Jazz looks at the blue mech standing by the wall. 

“Soundwave,” Jazz growls. “You stole Prowl. You caused all of this.”

“He was suffering from Scorponok’s poison,” Soundwave says. “I did what I knew would save him.”

“You gave him to Shockwave!” Jazz yells. 

“Shockwave won’t hurt him,” Soundwave says. “My brother was targeted by Blackout. Sire and Carrier want to help him and you’re the only one who can now.”

“Why do you need me?”

“He’s grown fond of you, his emotional processor will not reconnect to his spark without you here,” Soundwave says. 

“Why is he a sparkling?”

“Scorponok’s venom was eating away his systems from the inside,” Soundwave says. “Sire placed his spark into a sparkling protoform. He’ll upgrade faster once his processor and spark are reconnected.”

“I don’t believe you,” Jazz says. “You could be trying to hack into my processor right now.”

“I cannot read your processor,” Soundwave says.


	11. A Sparkling's Decision

Jazz sighs as he lies on the berth, being a prisoner was boring. The sound of the door opening catches his attention and Jazz glances over to it and doesn’t see anyone. He hears something by his berth and he moves to look over the edge. The small sparkling grabs onto the handles of the drawers. 

“I don’t think you are supposed to be in here,” Jazz whispers.

“Don’t tell Carrier,” the sparkling says.

“Why are you in here?”

“To keep you company,” the sparkling crawls up on the berth. 

“Your creators won’t be happy,” Jazz frowns. 

“I don’t like being alone either. Sounders is way older than me and doesn’t want to play. His cassettes rarely come around anymore. I don’t like playing alone.”

“Sounders?” Jazz asks.

“His designation is Soundwave, named after Sire and Carrier. He’s been through the academies already. I don’t get to see him anymore. Do you have any brothers?”

“No,” Jazz says. 

“You had to play alone.”

“I never played,” Jazz says.

“Oh, did your creators never give you toys?”

“I . . . didn’t have creators.”

“Do you want to play with my toys?”

“No,” Jazz says. “What’s your designation?”

“Barricade,” the sparkling says. “But my Sire nicknamed me Prowl because I prowl around his lab all the time. He’s always doing cool stuff in here and I like watching him. My Carrier’s a scientist too. He studies aliens. Sometimes, if I’m really quiet, I can see the aliens. Do you want to see aliens?”

“I don’t think I’m allowed to,” Jazz says and raises his servo, his wrist hits the cuff. 

“I can get you out,” Barricade says and starts to pick the lock. 

“I don’t think your Sire will be happy,” Jazz says. 

“He won’t punish me, I never get in trouble,” Barricade says. “My carrier always wants me to learn about things so I like to watch the aliens.”

“What kind of aliens does he have?”

“All kinds, most of them are small,” Barricade says as the cuffs pop open. Jazz jumps up and grabs Barricade and the bundle of processors. “What are you doing?”

“I’m getting you out of here,” Jazz says. 

“Go in that room,” Barricade points to the gray door. “Be quiet.”

Jazz opens the door and closes it before he sets the sparkling down. He turns the sparkling around and opens the back of the sparklings helm.

“Prowl, I know you’re still in there, please come back,” Jazz says as he installs the processors. Barricade falls limp and Jazz holds the sparkling to his chest. Molten gold optics online and the sparkling looks up at Jazz.

“Jazz, why are you here?” Barricade asks.

“Prowl?” Jazz looks down at the sparkling.

“Why did you come to my Sire’s lab, it’s dangerous for you to be here,” Barricade says. “If they catch you—“

“We’re going to get out of here,” Jazz says.

“If you have not noticed, I lack some height,” Barricade puts his fists on his hips. 

“Ratchet could always—“

“Jazz, I am a Decepticon created spark,” Barricade says. “I cannot go back to the Autobots. You are second in command now. You need to go back there.”

“I can’t leave you here with them,” Jazz says.

“Jazz, they are my creators,” Barricade says. “They won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know that, you’re an Autobot,” Jazz says.

“Jazz, the only reason I was in the Autobots was because my sire and carrier gave me to an Autobot. They thought it was safe. Apparently it was not.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“I am going to stay,” Barricade says. “My sire and Carrier are on their way. Either stay or leave. If you leave I will restart my processors and revert back to a sparkling. If you stay, I will not.”

“They’ll torture me,” Jazz says backing away from Barricade. 

“Do you think they would harm the sole mech their sparkling cares for?” Barricade asks. “Whether you stay or not, they will not harm you.” 

“You asked if I had a brother,” Jazz looks down. “I did. He was deactivated in the seeker airstrikes. I found his body.”

“I am sorry, but my Carrier never ordered the youth sectors fired upon.”

“If I do stay, will I be put in a cell?”

“Most likely not,” Barricade says as Starscream yells for him. Barricade looks back at Jazz before opening the door. “Here, Carrier.”

“Barricade, don’t run off like that,” Starscream says and kneels down to the sparkling. “The Autobot escaped and I thought he took you away.”

“I let him go,” Barricade says and looks back in the storage room.


	12. What To Do With a Sparkling Smarter Than His Creators

Barricade smiles as the black and white visored mech steps up to the door. Starscream raises his null rays at Jazz with his arm around Barricade. 

“Carrier?” Barricade asks. 

“Autobot hand over my sparkling’s processor,” Starscream says.

“You have him,” Jazz holds up his servos. “I installed them hoping to take Prowl with me. He wanted to stay.”

“You’re going to the brig,” Starscream grabs Jazz by the shoulders. 

“Carrier, I told him that he wouldn’t go to the brig if he stayed,” Barricade pouts up at the seeker. “Do you want to make me a liar?”

“Why do you have to be so smart with that processor of yours?” Starscream asks, letting go of Jazz. 

“You created me,” Barricade smiles. 

“I was not alone,” Starscream looks up at the approaching Decepticon. 

“Prowl is unharmed?” Shockwave asks.

“The Autobot installed his processors,” Starscream says. “Barricade promised the mech freedom here.”

“That is acceptable as long as no harm comes to anyone or my equipment,” Shockwave says. 

“Can we go play?” Barricade asks. “I want to show Jazz my room.”

“We could do that,” Starscream smiles, Jazz tilts his helm at the seeker’s odd behavior.

“Come on, Jazzy,” Barricade smiles up at the visored mech when Starscream sets him on the floor. Starscream motions for Jazz to walk ahead of him.

“How do I know you won’t shoot me in the back?” Jazz asks.

“You mean something to Barricade,” Starscream says. “You could easily shoot me in the back. I have null rays, they do not leave lasting harm.”

“Right,” Jazz says and starts walking.

“I am a scientist,” Starscream explains. “I study organisms. When I capture them I use my null-rays. They are the only weapons I have. Shockwave’s lab, on the other servo, has built in security measures.”

“You wanted me to come?”

“Unharmed,” Starscream nods. Barricade jumps up and down in front of the door as he tries typing in the code. “Let me get that.”

“Okay,” Barricade stands in front of the door. Wings flutter on his back and Jazz notices them different than his doorwings. 

“Why are Prowl’s wings different?” Jazz asks.

“He was created a seeker but we decided to put him into a Praxian frame,” Starscream says as Barricade runs into the quarters. “Praxus was neutral. Decepticons corrupted Vos early on in the war.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Jazz laughs. Starscream glares at the mech.

“I did not choose to be a Decepticon,” Starscream says. “I was forced by Megatron’s side. Shockwave wanted us to leave to Praxus. I . . . I was already taken by Megatron.”

“You could always switch to Autobots,” Jazz says.

“That is impossible,” Starscream sighs. “I am bonded to Megatron. Shockwave is programmed to follow Megatron’s orders. Soundwave . . . Soundwave is . . . Megatron has Soundwave’s baby cassette in a cage.” 

“We could get the cassette,” Jazz says. “Ratchet can take out the program in Shockwave.”

“I am still bonded to Megatron,” Starscream says. 

“You could bond to someone else, Shockwave.”

“Megatron changed his spark frequency,” Starscream looks down at Barricade toting all his toys into the main room. “Either I deactivate or Megatron does. I will not bond to another mech.”

“Come play,” Barricade plops down in the middle of his toys. Jazz smiles and kneels down at the toy cars. Starscream sits on the floor beside the tub of jets. 

 

Starscream smiles slightly as he watches Jazz rub Barricade’s helm. Barricade recharges in Jazz’s arms, small servos clutched tightly near his chest. 

“Where is his armor?” Jazz looks up at the seeker.

“His original armor is long since corroded,” Starscream sighs. “We are working on creating armor but Soundwave’s out of sector. He normally creates his cassettes’ armor. He is the one who made Barricade’s original armor.”

“How long will he stay like this?” Jazz asks. 

“About three Vorns,” Starscream says. “I should put him in his berth. His wings will be in pain next orn.”

“I can take him,” Jazz says and Starscream leads Jazz into Barricade’s room. Jazz looks around the room to see it illuminated in glowing stars. 

“He always loved the stars. He dreamed of traveling off into space.”


	13. Missing

Optimus Prime walks into the med-bay, Ratchet’s office door is open so he walks in. Ratchet stares at the results. Why would Soundwave take Prowl? Why not just take his processor from him while he was in the med-bay?

“Have you seen Jazz?” Optimus Prime asks.

“He went back to his shift,” Ratchet says. 

“He’s not there,” Optimus Prime says. “His comms. are down.”

“I’m sure he’s just hiding,” Ratchet says. “He took Prowl’s injury and disappearance hard.”

“I will give him some time,” Optimus Prime turns around and leaves.


	14. Under Attack

“Decepticon’s fire!” Starscream yells and the Decepticons move forward down the hallway. 

“Autobots counter!” Jazz yells and the Autobots start firing at the Decepticons. 

“You’re doing it wrong,” Barricade whines from his spot on the couch. He watches as Jazz and Starscream command the armies on the gaming console Shockwave created for him. 

“How am I doing it wrong?” Jazz asks. “I’ve been an Autobot long before you ever were sparked.”

“Just because you’ve done it longer don’t mean you know how to do it right,” Barricade holds out his servo for the controller. 

“Fine, show me what you got, short stuff,” Jazz says. 

“I will,” Barricade jumps off the couch. “Autobots set up a perimeter. We can’t let the Decepticon through. Hound, Mirage, set up in the other hallway. Bumblebee, Ironhide lock down the ship. The rest of you lead the cons deeper into the ship.”

Jazz leans back on the couch watching the game play out. Surprisingly, Prowl was beating Starscream, even with the seeker cheating and rewriting the code. The screen flashes black for Starscream, the last Decepticon falls and the Autobots on screen cheer. 

“I won,” Barricade jumps up.

“Nice going, squirt,” Jazz says as Barricade jumps up on the couch beside him. 

“Don’t call me squirt,” Barricade punches Jazz’s side. No one notices the minor shift of the sound and placement of Barricade’s servo. “Carrier, can we watch Seeker Airstriker?”

“That’s a scary movie,” Starscream says. “Are you sure you want to watch it?”

“Jazzy’s here, he won’t let the mean mechs hurt me,” Barricade snuggles closer to the saboteur.


	15. Uncovered

Optimus Prime sits in his office reading the reports from the last battle. Since Prowl was out of commission and Jazz disappeared he was left to do them. He was the only one with enough security clearance to look at them. 

“Optimus!” Jazz yells. “You wouldn’t believe what I just went through.”

“Slow down Jazz and tell me everything since Prowl’s accident,” Optimus Prime says.

“Prowl’s accident? What happened to Prowl?”


	16. Questionnaire

Starscream walks back into the main room after putting Barricade into berth. 

“I miss reading him stories at dark cycle,” Starscream sits on the couch. 

:Starscream,: Shockwave says. 

:Here, just put Barricade in berth,: Starscream says.

:Is Jazz with you?:

:Yes, why?:

:He is not the Jazz we know,: Shockwave says. :The reason Soundwave’s Energon sample came back with negative results is because that mech is not Jazz. Soundwave heard over the communication frequencies that there is a mech who stole Jazz’s identity.:

:So is this mech dangerous?: Starscream asks.

:I would believe so, the Autobot’s Jazz has stated that he was beaten and bound by the mech.:

“So what did you do before the war?” Starscream asks leaning back on the couch.

“I was an entertainer,” Jazz says. “Clubs, bars where ever I could.”

“Why do we not have any records on your Energon samples?” Starscream looks over at the mech. Jazz flinches and jumps off the couch. Starscream watches the mech back away. “This was not how I expected you to act.”

“I don’t mean any harm,” Jazz says. “I was following a Decepticon. He killed my Prowl and I wanted to get revenge. I somehow ended up here. I don’t know where here is and then I found I already existed here. I couldn’t let him mess up my plans. I took his appearance and played the part. Prowl reminded me so much like my Prowl. I just wanted him back. He was my bonded and I barely survived his death. I know it was wrong to lie to him.

“When Scorponok attacked Prowl again, I couldn’t let him die too,” Jazz shudders. “I couldn’t let it happen again. Then Prowl disappeared and I had to go find him. I don’t want any trouble . . . I just want Prowl to be alright. I’ll leave if you want me to.”

“You are still an Autobot though,” Starscream says.

“Yes, but when I left Blackout was the only Decepticon left. I thought you would kill me on the spot when you saw me. Now I know that you won’t.”

:Shockwave, he is no threat,: Starscream says. 

:Are you sure?:

:He’s been hunting Blackout, his Prowl deactivated from Scorponok’s attack.:

:He’s here for Prowl?:

:Yes,: Starscream looks up at the black and white mech. “If you took the other mech’s appearance then what do you normally look like?”

The black and white form falls and a silver boxy mech stands there. A few seconds later a thin small mech stands there, silver visor shining in the light. 

“This is what I look like,” Jazz says. “We had a Barricade, he was a Decepticon. He tried to kill Bumblebee. At the end of our war the seekers bombed our base. Bumblebee was caught in the blast. Prowl was bitten in our escape. I lost everything in that battle. I ran after Blackout. Next thing I knew, I was waking up in a ship painted this horrible orange.”

“Who were your Prowl’s creators?” Starscream asks.

“He didn’t have any, we came from what was called the Allspark. We could have spark siblings. Bumblebee was mine.”

“You . . . uh said you were bonded to Prowl,” Starscream says. “Did you . . . you didn’t bond to Barricade did you?”

“No, he wanted to wait until after the Decepticons left the radar,” Jazz says. 

“Did you just bond where you come from, because here we have other ways,” Starscream says. Jazz looks blankly at the seeker. “I take that as a yes. You have a lot to learn, sit.”


	17. Truth Be Told

Jazz onlines to pounding in his helm. Someone trails their fingers down his helm and along his jaw.

“Prowler?” Jazz mumbles and turns over to cuddle up to the mech beside him. “Yer quiet.”

Jazz slides his servo up the mech’s arm to his face and presses a kiss to the mech’s lips. Jazz feels the ground beneath him leave and something slams into his back.

“Shockwave, that was uncalled for,” Starscream yells, Jazz sits against the wall, dazed from the sudden force. He feels someone kneel in front of him. “Jazz, are you alright?”

“’M fine,” Jazz mumbles in English. 

“Shockwave, I think you knocked his language center loose, I can’t understand him,” Starscream says. 

“Shockwave?” Jazz asks and onlines his optics. He scrambles back, tries to but hits the wall when he sees the purple mech kneeling in front of him. “Stay away from me!”

“Jazz, we cannot understand you, calm down,” Starscream says slowly and turns to Shockwave. “Maybe Barricade can help him.”

“No!” Jazz screams and puts his servos over his helm. Shockwave comes back with Barricade. The drowsy sparkling’s helm bobs up and down. 

“Barricade, can you online for Jazz?” Shockwave asks.

“Jazzy?” Barricade asks and looks, gold optics brighten when he sees the silver mech. “That’s not Jazz.”

“What?” Jazz asks looking at the three Decepticons. “Why is there a sparkling?”

“Why is he speaking funny?” Barricade asks. “Jazzy, is that you?”

“What is going on?” Jazz asks. 

“Maybe you knocked something out,” Starscream says. Shockwave reaches up and bangs Jazz’s helm against the wall. Barricade screams as Jazz’s visor goes dark. Jazz onlines and looks up at the two Decepticons.

“Why am I on the floor?” Jazz asks. 

“Shockwave decided to throw you across the room,” Starscream says. 

“Why?” Jazz looks up at Shockwave. Something different shines in the yellow optic. “What happened? You look jealous.”

“Shockwave cannot feel any emotions,” Starscream looks to Shockwave. 

“Emotional center has onlined again,” Shockwave says. “I did not like how Jazz was touching you.”

Starscream turns to Shockwave and wraps his arms around him. Jazz stands and picks Barricade up and steps into his room. 

“Are you alright, Jazzy?” Barricade asks as Jazz sets him on the berth. Jazz closes the door and walks back to Barricade. “Why do you look funny?”

“Why do I look funny?” Jazz asks.

“You were black and white,” Barricade says. “Now you’re silver and small.”

“Right,” Jazz sits on the berth. “Well I have a story to tell you. It started with a mech named Meister and a mech named Prowler. They were bondmates and something bad happened, something really bad. Meister had a brother, named Goldbug. Goldbug was hurt really badly and Meister was really sad, Prowler and Meister were running to fight their enemies. Something attacked him and he got hurt really bad, like Goldbug. Meister went after the mech who made Prowler hurt. Meister followed that mech and found out he jumped into another world. Meister found a mech an awful lot like his Prowler—“

“You don’t have to continue the story,” Barricade says. “I may look like a sparkling but my processors are quite advanced. You lost Prowl. You came here. You thought I was your Prowl. How did your Prowl deactivate?”

“Scorponok bit him,” Jazz sighs. “He died. Ratchet couldn’t save him.”

“Goldbug is your brother?”

“His name was Bumblebee,” Jazz looks away. 

“Jazzy,” Barricade says. “You’re here now.”

Jazz nods and hugs the sparkling, Barricade pats Jazz’s helm. 

“Barricade, Jazz, we need to leave now,” Starscream opens the door, purple scrapes of paint on his armor. 

“Did you and Shockwave get in a fight?” Jazz asks as Starscream picks up Barricade. He squeaks when Starscream grabs his wrist.

“I bonded to Shockwave, you broke Megatron’s program. Megatron will come after us now. Shockwave’s getting Soundwave—“

“Wait!” Jazz says. “Soundwave’s baby cassette. We have to save him.”

“She, and we can’t,” Starscream says. “There’s too much risk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is the story with the most hits, I'll put this note here. My uncomplete stories have not been forgotten. The bunnies I adopted have been attacking and I can't stay on one for a day. I'm currently working on ones that will be posted in September. Hopefully I will get them done and continue the one's I have posted. 
> 
> Any preferences on the one's I should work on? Leave a comment on any story with your answer. 
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	18. Flee

“Wait!” Barricade yells.

“What is it?” Starscream asks.

“We left them,” Barricade points to his room. 

“I’ll get them,” Jazz says.

“They are his stuffed toys and pets,” Starscream says, Jazz runs back into the room and starts subspacing things. A blue sparking cat like being jumps up on the berth and growls at Jazz.

“Jolt, come here,” Barricade says running into the room. “We gotta leave. Jazzy don’t worry about that stuff, get Dino, Que and Alice.”

“Who?” Jazz asks and Barricade jumps on the berth. He picks up a silver and blue mech stuffed doll and the small furry ball. The ball unwinds into a turbo fox which jumps up on Jazz’s shoulders. 

“Where did Alice go?” Barricade looks around frantically. 

“What does Alice look like?” 

“She’s crystals from Praxus,” Barricade says searching his desk and shelves.

“I already got her then,” Jazz says and subspaces Que, the doll. He picks up Barricade and starts running.

“Jolt, come on, operation hide and seek,” Barricade says and Jolt jumps off the berth.


	19. Fugitive

Barricade holds on tightly to Jazz’s armor as Shockwave and Starscream lead them through the lab. 

“Help Shockwave gather his plans and experiments,” Starscream says. “I’m going to buy us some time.”

“Star,” Shockwave grabs the mech’s wrist. “Megatron is kliks away. We do not have time.”

“Just enough to let lose my studies,” Starscream smiles. “Some really hate Megs.”

“Be back here in five kliks,” Shockwave says and starts putting the lab equipment in his subspace. 

“Barricade, can I put your turbo fox in my subspace?” Jazz asks. “I wouldn’t want him to get hurt if there is a fight.”

“Dino, you’re going to be fine, Jazzy’s gonna keep you safe,” Barricade says and the turbo fox disappears in Jazz’s subspace. 

“Where is Jolt?”

“Jolt is a failed experiment,” Shockwave says. “It only likes Prowl. It tolerates Prowl’s friends. You do not need to worry about it. Get the weapon plans, in that storage unit.”

“This one?” Jazz points to the locked storage unit. “It’s locked.”

“It’s for show,” Shockwave says and grabs more test tubes of strange glowing liquid. “It’s not locked.”

Jazz opens the door and grabs the plans, Barricade hugs Jazz’s leg as the silver mech empties the storage unit. The lab shakes and some test tubes fall to the floor and shatter. 

“I hope that wasn’t deadly,” Jazz says as the purple liquid evaporates.

“You do have your vaccination patches for Rust Plague,” Shockwave says, Jazz looks horrified at the purple mech. 

“You mean that is the Rust Plague?” Jazz points to the shattered glass tube. “Of course not, it’s uncurable! What kind of sick scientist are you, keeping that kind of thing-oh wait, you’re Shockwave. You live to kill the Autobots. Just because Barricade is back you don’t need me, I see how it-ow, what was that for?”

Jazz rubs his arm where Shockwave inserted the needle. 

“It should slow the effects until we get to my other lab,” Shockwave picks up Barricade and starts leaving the room.

“It should or will?”

“It will, now come on,” Shockwave says.

“What about you and Barricade?”

“We have the vaccine already,” Shockwave says and Starscream runs out of his lab. 

“They’re loose, we have three kliks to get to the ship before they reach us,” Starscream takes Barricade out of Shockwave’s arms. 

“My lab is ready to self-destruct in twenty kliks,” Shockwave rips off the cover of the panel on the wall. He pulls out some wires and the wall across from them slides away. The lights flicker on and Jazz looks in awe at the ship bay. 

“You have a secondary ship bay?” Jazz asks.

“It’s for Starscream’s entrance,” Shockwave says. “There is a security camera on the main bay. This has no security camera.” 

A blue arc of light jumps from the lights and into the ship. Starscream and Shockwave continue on down the stairs. Jazz runs up to catch them.

“Did you guys not see what I saw?” Jazz asks.

“Depends on what you saw,” Starscream says.

“Something entered the ship,” Jazz points to the ship.

“Jolt’s already in there,” Barricade says. “We always come play in here when Megatron is here. Sire and Carrier didn’t want Megatron to know about me.”

“Operation hide-and-seek,” Jazz nods. The base rocks again as Starscream sets Barricade in the ship and buckles him in. Jazz climbs up and sits beside Barricade. Starscream turns around to Shockwave.

“I’ll provide the distraction,” Starscream trails his fingers over Shockwave’s collar. “You get everyone to safety.”

“Be careful Star,” Shockwave hugs the seeker before climbing into the pilot seat. 

“Carrier! Be safe!” Barricade yells as Starscream climbs in the other ship in the bay.


	20. Safety In Numbers

Barricade peaks out of the small window to watch Starscream’s ship as they leave the lab. Small black and purple servos press against the window as he leans to keep Starscream’s ship in view. Jazz rubs the sparklings shoulders; the normally soft metal of protoform is harder under his touch. 

“Is Barricade’s protoform supposed to be hard?” Jazz asks as Shockwave stops the ship in the middle of an asteroid field. 

“Yes,” Shockwave glances over the back of the seat at them. “It allows his armor to stay on better. The harder it is, the better the armor magnetizes to it.”

Ships race across the view outside of the windshield, Starscream’s ship dodges the Decepticon fire. One stray laser beam hits and the engine explodes.

“Carrier!” Barricade screams. The Decepticons open fire on the ship until nothing is left. Barricade shudders and turns toward Jazz’s open arms. 

“It’s alright Barricade, I’m here,” Jazz rubs the sparklings helm. Something flickers in the corner of his vision and he glances over to it. He sees Starscream’s form leaning over the seat talking to Shockwave. “Barricade . . .”

“Carrier!” Barricade smiles and unlocks his restraints. He runs over to the flickering form. “You’re okay!”

“Of course I am sweet spark,” Starscream kneels down in front of Barricade. “Megatron can’t hurt me that easily.”

“Uhm . . . you kinda want to fill the outsider in?” Jazz waves his servo and points to himself. 

“Shortly after this ship departed I uploaded a wireless transmitter, it would follow my command,” Starscream says. “Once I got Megatron’s attention, I bailed out of the ship. This ship was in this asteroid field and I docked in the cargo bay.”

The flickering stops and a solid replica of Starscream stands in front of Barricade. Barricade holds up his arms for Starscream and the seeker bends down to pick him up.

“This is a holoform,” Jazz gasps. “How is it solid?”

“Why wouldn’t it be solid? I must get close enough to my specimens without crushing them. This holoform can be created at any size to get me as close as I want to them. It takes a while to charge and become solid but that’s the price I’m willing to take.”

Jazz twitches and falls to the floor.

“Jazzy!” Barricade screams and Starscream rushes over to kneel beside Jazz. 

“Shockwave, he’s not responding,” Starscream says and shakes Jazz’s limp form. 

“His systems are still working,” Shockwave says and steps back into the passenger part of the ship. He kneels beside the silver mech and extends a cable to plug in to the medical port. Shockwave stops and looks over the frame. “I see no medical port. There are no port covers anywhere on his body.”

“Oh, my processor,” Jazz moans and onlines his visor. “Now I know what it felt like to be Prowl.”

“What?” Starscream says. “Jazz, speak Cybertronian. We can’t understand you.”

“Oh,” Jazz says. “Sorry.”

“Are you alright?” Shockwave asks. Jazz looks at the cable in Shockwave’s servo.

“What is that?” Jazz asks. 

“I was going to see what coding caused you to crash like that.”

“Coding?” Jazz asks. “It was . . . Starscream made me crash.”

“How could I make you crash?” Starscream looks at Shockwave. “I didn’t alter your coding. There’s no possible way I could have crashed you.”

“What you said made me crash,” Jazz says and sees Starscream’s confused expression. “When you said your holoform could be any size, you could tower over everyone.”

“And that made you crash, why?”

“You could just step on every bot,” Jazz says. Starscream gasps and backs away. 

“You want me to use my holoform for Decepticon plans?” Starscream shakes his helm. “That’s the stupidest idea ever. Why would I want to use it that way?”

Jazz shrugs and holds up his servos, “I was just thinking if my version of Starscream did that, the war would have been over.”

“Well your Starscream is not a true scientist,” Starscream crosses his arms. “I would not even think about using my holoform for evil.”

“Okay,” Jazz holds his servos up in surrender. “So, what about Soundwave?”

“He is meeting us at my lab,” Shockwave says. 

“How do we know Megatron won’t be there?”

“My lab is not in this universe,” Shockwave says. Jazz starts flinching and slumps. “He crashed again. This mech is one strange creature.”

“I second that,” Starscream says. 

“I third it,” Barricade holds up his servo. “He calls deactivated dead. What is dead? And he speaks funny sometimes. I don’t even know what he’s trying to say.” 

“Your lab isn’t in this universe, how do you get to it?” Jazz asks looking up at the mech. 

“At least he onlined speaking Cybertronian,” Starscream says. 

“We use two space bridges, set to the same destinations,” Shockwave says. “The Space Bridges must be set facing each other so that it creates a rip in the fabric of space and time. We slip through the rip and enter the Shadow zone.”

“How do you get out?” Jazz asks.

“My lab has two space bridges installed in it,” Shockwave says. “It’s relatively easy to navigate once you know how to.”

“And the Predacons are there,” Barricade smiles. “They’re so fun to play with.” 

“Predacons?” Jazz looks confused.

“They’re enormous, most of them are dragons,” Barricade holds his arms as wide as he can. 

“Uh huh,” Jazz looks skeptical at Barricade’s happy expression. “I bet they just love Autobots.”

“As long as you don’t poke them, you’re fine,” Starscream says. “Trust me, I learned the hard way.”

“He broke every strut in his body,” Shockwave says. 

“At least it was when you cared for me,” Starscream smiles.


	21. Safe Haven

Shockwave steers the ship to the middle of the enormous space bridges. He sets their frequencies from the ship.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Jazz asks looking at the space bridges uneasily. “You’re sure it’s not going to rip us in half.”

“Ninety nine out of one hundred times were successful in not ripping the traveler apart,” Shockwave says. 

“Who got ripped apart?”

“An Autobot messing around with the controls,” Shockwave says. “I initiated the sequence on him.”

“Oh, then that was perfectly in your control,” Jazz says and kneels beside Barricade. “Your creators are scary.”

“They’re fun,” Barricade smiles. 

“If you say so,” Jazz shrugs and fastens his restraints. 

“Don’t be afraid, Jazzy,” Barricade places his small servo on Jazz’s. “I’ve done this plenty of times. There’s nothing to worry about. The only thing I feel is a tingling in my wings. Carrier does too. Sire used to.”

Jazz nods and the space bridges online. Barricade giggles quietly, pain seeps into Jazz’s sensory net. Barricade glances over and screams as he sees Energon coming out of Jazz’s audios and the mech slumped against the restraints. 

“Sire!” Barricade yells when the ship enters the Shadow Zone. “Jazzy’s hurt. Help him.”

“He must have extra sensitive sensors near his helm,” Shockwave says laying Jazz on the floor of the ship. “Do you remember the first time you came to Shadow Zone, your wings started to leak Energon.”

Barricade nods, wings flutter against his back. Shockwave pulls out a rag and wipes up the Energon. Barricade picks up Jazz’s helm and sits on the floor with the silver helm on his lap. He traces the edges of Jazz’s visor, fingers move up to the small horns on his helm. Jazz jumps when Barricade touches the horns. Jazz looks up at Shockwave. 

“Did it work?” Jazz looks up at Barricade and smiles. Barricade smiles back. 

“You were leaking Energon out of your audios,” Shockwave says. “Do you have sensitive sensors in your helm?”

“My horns and my hearing,” Jazz says. “So where are we?”

“In the dock of my lab,” Shockwave says. “Shadow Zone is no ordinary place. Unlike the mainstream of a universe, this place has districts. Each district is from another universe. Normally it takes a certain radius around the space bridges and settles it in the Shadow Zone. This district holds a planet of Chaar spiders. Starscream loves it because he can study them without getting eaten.”

“I heard that!” Starscream yells from outside the ship. Bright light floods the interior of the ship as Starscream opens the hatch. “I hope you know that I have scouted their colony and found their major locations of operations.”

“Good for you, you can now tell the rest of the world,” Shockwave says. “Now all you need to figure out is how to get passed their first line of defense.”

“I’m working on it,” Starscream puts his servos on his hips. 

“Can I show Jazzy the Predacons?” Barricade asks. 

“Yes,” Shockwave says. “Be careful to not touch Jolt while you are in the Shadow Zone. He was created in the Shadow Zone so he can jump through the dimensions.”

“If you do, you want to touch him again,” Barricade says. “Come on, Jolt.” 

Barricade slides his servo into Jazz’s. Starscream smiles as the two of them walk out of the ship bay. Barricade skips beside Jazz as they walk down the hallway. 

“So, there are five Predacons here,” Barricade says. “At least online and moving out of the tanks.”

“Tanks?” Jazz asks and Barricade pulls Jazz into a lab. He brightens his optics at the rows and rows of the yellow tanks. Barricade pulls his servo out of Jazz’s and walks up to the tank. He taps the glass and the being in the tank moves and a helm presses against the side of the tank. Jazz backs away only to run into something behind him. He looks up and up, finally meeting yellow optics. Jazz spins around to look at the dark red, grey and yellow mech towering over him.

“Predaking!” Barricade squeals and runs around Jazz. He throws open his arms and jumps at the large mech. The large mech catches Barricade and tosses him up in the air before setting him on his shoulder. 

“Who is your little friend?” Predaking asks.

“He’s Jazz,” Barricade says. 

“An Autobot?” Predaking looks shocked at Barricade who nods. Jazz backs into the tank. 

“Uh . . . I’ll just leave,” Jazz says and points to the door. He sprints to the door, running in the air when Predaking grabs him by his shoulders. 

“Jazzy,” Barricade giggles. “Are you afraid of Predaking?”

“I believe he is,” Predaking says and throws Jazz up in the air. Jazz screams as he nearly reaches the ceiling. A heavy beating sound catches his attention and he lands on something quicker than the ground. Jazz looks around to see Barricade holding on to the silver spikes on the large beast’s back. 

“Hold on, Jazzy,” Barricade yells as the dragon flies out of the back of the room, an opening for the newly hatched Predacons to get out. Jazz flips over and holds on tightly. 

“I want down,” Jazz cries as he glances at the ground. The lab looks so small from where they are. 

“Jazzy, Predaking won’t hurt you,” Barricade says letting go of his handle.

“Grab a hold of something!” Jazz screams.

“Don’t worry, I done this plenty of times,” Barricade smiles and falls down right in front of Jazz. He reaches out to Jazz. “Take my servo. Good, now sit up. Okay now scoot forward.”

Barricade leads Jazz toward the front of Predaking’s body. Predaking glances over his shoulder.

“You watch where you’re going,” Jazz points ahead of the dragon. Predaking huffs and shakes his helm. 

“Now hold right here,” Barricade smiles as he pats the silver bar. Jazz grabs a hold of it with a death grip. Barricade wiggles under his arms and sits in front of him. He looks up at Jazz, smile growing as he feels Jazz’s field drain of the tenseness.


	22. Exploration

“So, how was your first Dragon ride?” Shockwave asks as Predaking lands and Jazz slides off the back of the dragon. 

“Might have to reattach some things,” Jazz says trying to walk again. 

“Barricade, we have another Predacon ready to hatch,” Shockwave says. Barricade jumps and runs after Shockwave. Jazz holds his vents as Predaking walks by, the large mech turns.

“Are you not coming?” Predaking asks.

“I . . . didn’t know you wanted me to come,” Jazz says.

“Barricade obviously trusts you enough and Shockwave has not killed you yet,” Predaking says. “And you have not killed Starscream.”

Jazz follows the large mech to one of the last tanks. The glass has spider web cracks in it and fluid starts leaking out. Some of the glass falls and the liquid starts draining faster. The liquid drains out of the room. Jazz gasps when a gold helm pops up out of the liquid still in the tank. A small golden helmed dragon chirps and tries jumping out of the tank. On the last attempt, the dragon tumbles out and lands at Barricade’s pedes. Barricade kneels on the floor and starts wiping off the liquid. The dragon trills and shakes his body. Shockwave kneels behind the dragon and plugs in the cable to the dragon’s back. 

“Well she seems to be doing fine,” Shockwave looks up at Predaking. They all watch the dragon rub herself against Barricade. “Barricade, why don’t you take the new dragon and Jazz and go explore?”

“Okay,” Barricade smiles and slides his servo in Jazz’s. “Come on baby Goldenglow. We can go watch the spiders.”

“Is that safe?” Jazz asks looking to Shockwave.

“Starscream should be there now,” Shockwave says. 

“Predaking will you take us there?” Barricade looks up at the large mech. 

“Of course,” Predaking says and changes into his beast mode. Jazz helps Barricade and Goldenglow up on the dragon’s back before hesitantly climbing up himself. Predaking takes flight and Jazz glances around them as the lab falls away. Jazz looks back toward the direction they are heading and sees the small planet getting closer. Predaking lands on the surface of the planet. Chaar spiders scurry around them as Jazz slides off the dragon with Barricade and Goldenglow in his arms. Starscream stands in the middle of the colony with a data-pad in servo. 

“You actually like being this close to these things?” Jazz asks carefully making his way through them.

“You need not fear them knowing you are here,” Starscream says and swats at a couple of them. His servo passes right through. “They cannot even see you.”

“Doesn’t it get lonely out here?” Jazz asks and sits on the rock. Barricade follows a Chaar spider around, Goldenglow follows behind him. Jazz glances up at the dark sky, a blue light slowly moves across the sky. Starscream chuckles and Jazz glances over to the seeker watching him. 

“Those are space whales,” Starscream states. “They can eat a ship whole.”

“Jazzy, I wanna go farther in the colony, will you come with me?” Barricade asks. 

“Be careful, you can still fall,” Starscream says. Barricade takes Jazz’s servo and leads him through the colony. Jazz tries his hardest to keep from touching the spiders. Barricade takes him into the cave which tons of Chaar spiders crawl out of.

“Why do we have to go in there?” Jazz asks. 

“Because it’s where all the baby spiders are,” Barricade says. “I want to see the baby spiders.”

“Of course you do,” Jazz sighs, following Barricade down the cave. Small glowing strings hang from the ceiling.

“Carrier tells me those are glow fuzzy worms,” Barricade says. “He had some in his lab, they go pop if you poke them. They also spray glowy goo all over.”

“And you know this, how?”

“I liked the sound of them popping,” Barricade shrugs. “I didn’t like how they got goo all over me.”

“You do know they are living creatures,” Jazz looks worried at Barricade. 

“So?” Barricade glances over his shoulder.

“Prowl loves living things,” Jazz frowns.

“Your Prowl did,” Barricade says. “I am not your Prowl.”

“I guess not,” Jazz sighs, rubbing over his spark. 

“Oh, lookie a spider’s hatching,” Barricade runs over to the nest and kneels in front of it. Jazz watches Barricade reach for the egg. Instead of phasing through the egg, Barricade’s servo presses against it. “Uh . . . Jazzy.”

The spider tumbles out of the egg sack and thumps against Barricade. The spider uncurls and stands up wobbly. One of his legs bends the wrong way and he falls to the ground. The spider cries out, other spiders just go by not noticing. Barricade gathers the spider up in his arms and looks up at Jazz.

“We have to help him,” Barricade says. 

“You are one strange sparkling,” Jazz says. “Popping innocent fuzzy worms just for the sound of it and then turning around to nurse a sick Chaar spider to health.”

“Please,” Barricade pouts up at Jazz. 

“Fine,” Jazz sighs. 

“Yay,” Barricade smiles. “Do you hear that Charcoal? You’re going home with me and I’ll be your carrier.”

Barricade and Jazz climb out of the cave, Goldenglow paces the ground until she sees Barricade. 

“Carrier!” Barricade yells and Starscream walks over. 

“Barricade, why do you have a Chaar spider in your arms?” Starscream asks.

“He’s its Carrier,” Jazz whispers.

“Oh,” Starscream says and nods. “Well baby Chaar spider has your Carrier given you a designation?”

“Charcoal,” Barricade smiles. “Charcoal, this is my Carrier.”

“Looks like Charcoal has a broken leg,” Starscream frowns. “I believe Shockwave can fix his leg.”


	23. Scoping

Barricade pets the spider as Starscream pilots the ship back to the lab. Shockwave stands at the door of the bay waiting for them. Barricade carefully gets out of the ship and pouts up at his Sire. 

“I thought Shockwave said Soundwave was meeting us here?” Jazz asks.

“Soundwave is in his quarters with his cassettes,” Starscream says. “He knows Megatron will use his cassette against him later.”

“Then we just have to find the little cassette,” Jazz says. 

“She’s within the Nemesis,” Starscream says. “In Megatron’s quarters.”

“Are there vents?” Jazz asks, Starscream nods. “Then I can get in there.”

“The Nemesis is in Shadow Zone,” Starscream says. 

“I can scope the place without alerting anyone,” Jazz says and heads toward Shockwave’s lab. The purple mech stands at the counter.

“What are you doing?” Jazz asks, cautiously walking into the room.

“I am creating a coating that will magnetize Prowl’s protoform for his armor.”

“So about the Rust Plague vaccine?”

“Oh, yes, get that vial out of the cabinet,” Shockwave points to the glass cabinet. Jazz takes out the vial and hands it to Shockwave.

“So . . .I was thinking about freeing Soundwave’s little cassette,” Jazz says as Shockwave inserts the needle into the silver mech’s Energon line.

“It is a suicide mission.”

“Starscream said the Nemesis is in Shadow Zone,” Jazz says. “I was thinking of scouting the place here.”

“The Predacons are not the only dangerous creatures here,” Shockwave says. “They keep the others out of this district.”

“What kind of creatures?”

“Spider like creatures larger than the Chaar spiders, long leviathan worms which burrow into the ground,” Shockwave says. “I would advise taking a couple of Predacons with you.”


	24. Heading Out

Jazz places fifteen Energon cubes in his subspace and starts to walk out. Predaking steps up to Jazz in alt-mode. 

“Jazzy!” Barricade yells as he runs into the Predacon hatchery. “Wait . . . can I come with you?”

“It’s going to be dangerous, too dangerous for a sparkling,” Jazz says. 

“But I can keep you company,” Barricade pouts up at Jazz. 

“You don’t have any armor,” Jazz pokes Barricade’s chest. Barricade grumbles and looks up to Predaking. 

“You’d keep me safe right?” Barricade says, Predaking huffs and shakes his helm. He stomps his pede. “I never get to do anything fun.”

“Why don’t you go play with Goldenglow?” Jazz asks.

“She’s recharging,” Barricade whines. ”Please?”

“No,” Jazz looks down at the sparkling. 

“Please,” Barricade clasps his servos under his chin as he pouts. 

“No,” Jazz states without wavering. 

“You’re mean,” Barricade stomps his pede and runs out of the hatchery. 

“That could’ve gone better,” Jazz says as a purple and gold dragon walks up. 

“This is Sugarlight,” Starscream says. “She’s Goldenglow’s creator.”

“And Predaking’s the daddy?” Jazz teases and squeaks when Predaking snaps at him. “Down boy, down.”

“You’ve entered his bad list,” Starscream chuckles.


	25. No Fair

“But it’s not fair,” Barricade whines as he sits on the berth. Shockwave piles up his first set of armor. “I wanted to go exploring. Jazzy’s so mean.”

“Jazz made the right decision,” Shockwave says, Barricade crosses his arms with a huff. Shockwave laughs and starts painting on the coating. The black and purple armor gets laid on his protoform. Shockwave pulls at the armor to test the strength of the bonding. 

“Can I go play now?” Barricade asks. 

“Yes you can,” Shockwave says and Barricade jumps off the berth, Shockwave catches him and sets him down gently. Barricade runs out of the lab with his arms outstretched, Goldenglow runs after him. He stops in the hatchery, just before the open wall. He looks around before taking a cautious step out of the hatchery. He jumps back; his creators banned him from ever going outside. He shouldn’t do this. Barricade pouts and looks over his shoulder before jumping and landing outside of the hatchery. He turns in a circle and smiles when nothing comes after him or yells at him. 

Something makes a deafening thud behind him and Barricade slowly turns around to see a large griffin-like creature towering over him. Barricade falls on his aft trying to look up at the Predacon’s optics. Barricade scrambles back and the Predacon kneels down to Barricade. 

“Uh . . . please don’t eat me!” Barricade screams. The griffin transforms and kneels in front of the sparkling. 

“I will not eat you,” the griffin slides a servo under Barricade and sets him up. “I have never seen you before.”

“Neither have I,” Barricade says. “I mean I’ve never seen you.”

“I am Haloscape,” the griffin says and looks at Goldenglow. “I am Goldenglow’s sister.”

“Oh, I’m Shockwave and Starscream’s creation,” Barricade smiles. 

“Starscream,” Haloscape huffs. “Where are you headed?”

“Jazzy left me behind, I want to follow him on his adventure.” 

“He went into the Shadow Zone?” Haloscape looks out into the empty expanse. “I do not think that is wise.”

“You’d protect me won’t you?” Barricade pouts up at the Predacon.

“Yes,” Haloscape transforms and allows Barricade to climb up on her back, Goldenglow climbs up and sits in front of Barricade. She lifts off the ground and Barricade looks around for Jazz. 

“He’s with Predaking,” Barricade scans the area again. “I don’t see him.”

“I know where my sire is,” Haloscape says and takes off in the direction. Within kliks, they spot Predaking flying and Barricade spots Jazz holding on for dear life. 

“There they are,” Barricade cheers as Haloscape glides to Predaking’s side. 

“Barricade!” Jazz yells. “I told you to stay at the lab.”

“I have armor!” Barricade yells back over the beat of the Predacon’s wings. Jazz bangs his helm against Predaking’s back. 

“Barricade, go back!” Jazz yells as they pass through a shimmering veil. A screech in the air causes everyone to jump. The Predacons drop in the air as a larger bird flies at them. “What the frag was that!”

The Predacons drop down on the ground with their charges in their servos.

“Those are called dinosaurs,” Sugarlight says. “Evil creatures who prey on Predacons.”

“We will have to travel by land,” Predaking says. 

“The wizard that lives in this sector created them,” Sugarlight says. “His name is Galvatron.”

“He sounds scary,” Barricade reaches for Predaking. The older Predacon holds out his other servo and Barricade scrambles over and holds up his arms for Jazz. Jazz opens his arms and Barricade climbs on his lap and snuggles up to the silver mech. Goldenglow curls up on Sugarlight’s shoulders and falls into recharge. 

“The Galvatron I know was created by the humans,” Jazz says. 

“Why would they want to create such a scary person?” Barricade asks cuddling closer to Jazz. 

“I don’t know,” Jazz says.


	26. The Land of Monsters

Predaking leads the group to a cave, Jazz backs into the darkness as the sound of something big comes. 

“Every creature in this district is in the Shadow Zone,” Predaking says. “Every creature preys on Cybertronian metal.”

Jazz trembles as a large pede slams into the ground just outside of the cave. He peeks out and watches as the large creature passes by. He keeps watching and watching. 

“How long is the fragging thing?” Jazz mumbles and he sees the tip of the tail. The tail sways and Jazz realizes that it is coming his way. The tail slams into him and he flies into the cave. Visor blacking out as he hits the wall. He slides to the floor, blue Energon seeps around his still form. 

“Jazzy?” Barricade asks, wings quivering as he steps closer.

:Shockwave, we need you,: Predaking comms. back to the lab.

 

Starscream walks into the lab, he looks around the berths and tables. Shockwave stops tinkering with a device to watch the seeker. 

“Normally you are the one to not lose things, what did you lose?” Shockwave asks. Starscream jumps and looks at the purple mech. 

“Barricade,” Starscream squeaks. “We were going to make Charcoal a nest. I cannot find either of them.”

“Barricade went off playing,” Shockwave says. Soundwave walks into the lab, face mask and visor hidden. Starscream frowns at Soundwave’s frown. 

“Barricade left,” Soundwave says. Shockwave slams the device down and stomps to the nursery. Starscream and Soundwave follow him and watch as Shockwave looks at the ground outside of the lab. The thin layer of imported dust shows small pedes of a sparkling and larger pedes of a Predacon. 

“He left,” Starscream says, wings drooping and quivering. “Why would he leave?”

“Jazz left him here,” Shockwave says and starts to turn around when the lab’s comm. system beeps with a message. 

:Shockwave, we need you,: Predaking’s voice comes over the speakers. 

“Skylynx, Darksteel,” Shockwave says and two dragons walk up out of the nursery. The small youngling dragons push each other to stand in front of the other. 

“You’re not thinking of going after them, are you?” Starscream asks.

“They need my help,” Shockwave says. 

“Well, I’m coming to,” Starscream puts his fists on his hips. 

“I will come as well,” Soundwave says. 

“Fine,” Shockwave turns to the opening and transforms into his jet mode. Starscream and Soundwave follow with the Predacons flying after them. As they pass through the veil, the pteranodon flies at Starscream who splits from the others to lead it away. :Starscream, get back to our group!:

:I’ll lead it away,: Starscream barrel rolls out of the way. 

~Be careful,~ Shockwave says through the bond.

~I’m the best flier Cybertron has ever seen,~ Starscream pulses back happily.

~We are not on Cybertron.~

 

The sound of jet engines causes Barricade to jump.

“I’m not here,” Barricade squeaks and hides behind Haloscape. The purple jet transforms at the entrance, the blue jet transforms and the Predacons land behind them. 

“What happened?” Shockwave asks, kneeling down beside Jazz. 

“One of the creatures hit him with its tail,” Predaking says. “I will go hunt it down.”

“No,” Shockwave says and carefully moves Jazz. The Energon drips from the cave wall, rock spikes protrude from the wall. “He has lost a lot of Energon.”

~I’m sorry, Shockwave,~ Starscream says before the bond quiets. Shockwave looks at the cave opening. 

“Skylynx, Darksteel go find Starscream,” Shockwave says. “Soundwave, sift through the processors to locate him.”

“Yes, Sire,” Soundwave says and sits against the wall. 

“Haloscape, Sugarlight, take Barricade out of view of Jazz,” Shockwave looks at the Predacons. 

“But I’m not here,” Barricade whines. “Oops.”

“What are you going to do?” Predaking kneels beside Shockwave. 

“He has lost too much Energon to replace like this, his spark is weak,” Shockwave looks down at the silver mech. “His spark must be bonded to regain energy for his self-repair to work. His frame is too different to mess with.”

“Who will bond with him?”

“Praxians can choose what kind of bonds they create,” Shockwave says. “He gave me back my coding. I can use it to save his life by creating a brother bond.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Restrain him if he reacts badly,” Shockwave says and opens his spark chamber. He waits, the sounds of parts moving fills the cave. A bright blue spark shines from the silver mech’s frame. The spark pulses slowly. Shockwave brings his spark closer, the blue spark backs more into the spark chamber as if trying to stay away from the other. “Jazz, I am trying to help you.”

“Prowler,” Jazz cries and Shockwave moves back. “Stay away from me!”

Shockwave stares at Jazz, the silver mech onlines and shies away.

**Author's Note:**

> Bunny: http://prowlsgirl.livejournal.com/3355.html  
> Well...it's an idea for a 2007movie verse fic. Where for a bit as a prologue started out in space or Cybertron, I can't deiced with. Prowl was SIC but something bad happens where he was force to turn the rains over to his friend Jazz. I was thinking some type of very bad virus or something no one knows how to stop at the time.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers.


End file.
